Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 111 - Chapitre 115

~Liliana~The ink on the contract has barely dried when the reality of what I have done crashes over me like cold water. I stand in the middle of the guest suite that is now officially mine, staring at the walk-in closet that could swallow my entire old apartment. Clothes I haven’t chosen hang in neat rows—soft cashmere sweaters, tailored trousers, silk blouses in shades that somehow flatter my auburn hair and hazel eyes. He has everything planned out already. A note pinned to one of the hangers reads, in that same crisp handwriting: Wear what feels right. The rest can be returned. No signature. Just Mr Cavendish, efficient even in generosity.I run my fingers over a midnight-blue dress that looks like it costs more than three months of my old rent. The fabric is cool and heavy, like it will move like water when I walk. I should feel excited. Instead, my stomach twists with something closer to vertigo. Last night I was throwing up on the man. This morning I signed months of my life aw

~Rowan~~~A few months later~~We're in the courtroom. Every little sound, a chair scraping, someone clearing their throat, feels way too loud. I sit there in the front row with Liliana right beside me. Her hand rests on my thigh under the table lightly. It’s supposed to be for show, but I don’t know what the hell it is anymore. My hand covers hers. I keep tracing slow circles on her skin with my thumb where nobody can see.Across the aisle, Silvia sits with her lawyers, her face pulled tight like she’s holding in a scream. Every time she glances our way, her eyes lock on Liliana and me sitting so close. I keep my face calm, the way a man who’s happily married should look. Inside, my stomach is in knots, but it has nothing to do with the judge. It has everything to do with the woman whose fingers are warm against my leg.The judge flips through the last pages, her voice clear and final. “After reviewing all the evidence, including the stable home environment provided by Mr. Cavendish

~Liliana~Six Months Later.The private villa on the Amalfi Coast feels like another world. Terracotta tiles warm under our bare feet, the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below, and the scent of lemon trees drifting through the open windows. We have escaped here for a week after Rowan finally hands over day-to-day control of several projects to his executives. No press. No custody battles. No pretending.Just us.Rebecca is back home with her grandparents for a short visit, safe and happy. Her laughter still echoes in my ears from our video call earlier. The custody war is truly over. Silvia has stopped fighting months ago, her threats dissolving once the world sees how stable and loved Rebecca is in our home.I stand on the wide balcony in nothing but one of Rowan’s white linen shirts. The fabric brushes my thighs as the evening breeze lifts it. The sun has just slipped below the horizon. Behind me, I hear the soft pad of Rowan’s footsteps. His arms slide around my